Ketaki Shetge

An experienced dancer and teacher, Ketaki Shetge's tryst with classical dance started with Bharatanatyam at very young age. The elastic charm of Odissi lured her to start learning at Smitalay under Guru Smt. Jhelum Paranjape. She has now been learning here for the past nine years. Ketaki has also been very lucky to learn from the Great Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra in his summer workshop's conducted in Mumbai as well as Orissa several times.

Ketaki Shetge is a senior student of Guru Smt. Jhelum Paranjape residing in Mumbai who has received the title Sringar Mani for Odissi dance and has passed nritya visharad of gandharva mahavidyalay in first class. She has performed solo programmes at NCPA, Apna Utsav, as well as duets in Nritya Pratibha, 3rd International Odissi Festival as well as in Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Ceremony in Orissa. She has also performed in group with her guru at the Kala Ghoda festival, Hampi festival, the Hare Krishna Festival at Vrindavan etc. and all overIndia. She has performed the lead role in the dance ballet Narmada, choreographed by Jhelum Didi. and also in ballets like Lilavati and Uma.

Ketaki Shetge recently left her job of ten years as a senior lecturer in applied arts to pursue dance fulltime and is now teaching Odissi at Smitalay, an insitute founded by her Guru, as well as conducting her own classes at Nritya Nikunj.

She is happy to be a part of the Odissi Discussion Group

"as it is really beneficial for non odiya dancers like me. earlier i was concentrating only on practical but after joining this group i have developed an immense interest in the theory part which is so deep. plus it is like alladins chirag for me as sitting here in mumbai i can ask any doubts to any of the great dancers/gurus. we the younger generation need such guidance to upgrade and develope ourselves and specially when we are teaching it is very necessary for us to know many things about dance. as i am a regular reader of this group i now know that dance is not only about practically moving your body but it is a deep study, a research to know yourself and about your surroundings and much more. a crore thanks to whoever has started this group because now i think that any question regarding dance i have, yahoo group is always there for me who will solve all my questions. it has given me the internal confidence to perform as well as teach."

Ketaki Shetge can be reached at leokets@yahoo.com